Produce Briefs...
White Corn
White corn is a sweet corn variety. Its ears are wrapped in tightly layered pale lime green to white husks. One ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels growing in rows lengthwise.
Iceberg Lettuce
It is the only lettuce type that does not occur in red form as well as green. Iceberg is the given name to dozens of cultivars of lettuce, all of which are adapted to specific planting regions and time periods.
Seasons/Availability
Green radicchio is available through the fall and winter months.
Current Facts
Green radicchio is more commonly known as Sugarloaf chicory or Pain de Sucre in French and Blanc di Milan in Italian. Radicchio is a member of the chicory family.
Description/Taste
This Treviso-style radicchio looks very much like a head of romaine lettuce, with all of the bitterness and flavor of radicchio. Pulling away the dark, oblong-shaped green outer leaves reveals a light green to almost yellowish-white center of tightly clustered leaves. Green radicchio is the mildest of the radicchio varieties. The flavor is sweet with a hint of bitterness and a distinct crisp, crunchy texture.
Applications
Green radicchio is a great addition to salads or used as a bed for grilled meats. The bitterness lends flavor to soups, or as a side dish sautéed with a little olive oil and mushrooms and onions. The flavor of radicchio also pairs well with pork; add to stews and stir fry’s. Grill Green radicchio and serve as a side dish or with other roasted vegetables. In Italy, Green radicchio is added to pizzas, pastas and in France, young radicchio is used in stews.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In folk medicine, the leaves of the chicory plant are boiled with honey to make a gargle that is said to cure cancer of the mouth.
Geography/History
Green radicchio is an heirloom variety of chicory; it has been used in dishes, salads and even as a decorative plant for more than 300 years. It is native to Europe, more specifically Italy. It is commonly found in the dishes of Milan and is used in the springtime in France. The hearty green grows best in the cool months, and its real flavor comes through in the harsher, cooler conditions. Green radicchio has even been known to grow right under the snow. This variety of radicchio is not popular or widely grown in the US, though it is seen more and more at local farmer’s markets and in CSA boxes.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Green Radicchio. One
is easiest, three is harder.
